This invention relates to a nestable crate for transporting and storing containers, particularly bottles.
Bottles, particularly those used to contain soft drinks and other beverages, are often transported and stored in crates having a bottom surrounded by four sidewalls. These crates generally are configured to be stacked on top of each other both when empty and when loaded with bottles. When the crates are loaded with bottles, the floor of one crate rests on the bottles of the crate stacked below it.
A first prior art crate is tapered downwardly, such that the end walls and side walls angle inwardly toward the floor of the crate. This provides these crates with the ability to nest within one another when empty, thus conserving space when stored or shipped empty. However, this first prior art crate does not provide much lateral support for the containers to prevent the containers from tipping when additional crates are stacked on the containers.
A second prior art crate has vertical exterior surfaces from top to bottom and minimal wall stock for providing a minimal overall length and width to allow for as much bottle density and as little crate structure as possible. The bottom of these crates extends downwardly and is inwardly offset from the sidewalls to define a crate footprint. The stacking feature of such crates is typically limited to this bottom footprint, which is received within the rim of a like container to achieve a more stable stack. The second prior art crate was not designed for nesting and thus does not store efficiently when empty.